Device for breaking up liquid droplets in a gas stream



O 1949- J. R. ALBURGER 7 DEVICE FOR BREAKING UP LIQUID DROPLETS IN A GAS STF.EAM Filed Nov. 29, 1944 tjA Ma-zs 1?. AA gazes/e, NV E NTO R.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 11, 1949 DEVICE FOR BREAKING UP LIQUID DROPLETS IN A GAS STREAM James R. Alburger, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor of one-half to Irl R. Goshaw, Beverly Hills,

Calif.

Application November 29, 1944, Serial No. 565,771

4 Claims.

This invention relates to atomization devices, and particularly to an adjunct to a carburetor for the purpose of improving vaporization and the mixture of gasoline and air.

Since the advent of internal combustion motors, especially for automobiles, many modifications have been made to the method of and means for supplying a gasoline and air mixture to the cylinders, and especially by attachments or adjuncts to the carburetor. Many of these adjuncts have taken the form of rotating blades of various forms and arrangements, which are rotated by the fiow of the air and gasoline mixture through the carburetor or intake manifold. In practically all instances, such attachments have provided in creased atomization of the gasoline by breaking up the globules or droplets of gasoline, which improves the distribution of the mixture to the cylinders and improves combustion within the cylinders.

The prior art devices of this type have had a very critical fault, however; namely, that they rotate on bearings either arranged vertically or horizontally in the carburetor or manifold. This is probably the chief reason why such devices have not been more universally adopted, since they rotate at high speeds and with lubrication difficult, the bearings have a short life, thereby causing stoppage and thus requiring frequent replacement. In some instances, the blades become broken and are drawn into the valves and cylinders. It is, of course, undesirable to have an attachment which is subject to such short life, and which may, at any time, cause damage to the motor.

The present invention is directed to a bearingless rotating device, that is, there is no direct contact between rotating parts, which performs the functions of breaking up the globules of gasoline into finer particles, reduces overloading of the cylinders, and varies the ratio of gasoline to air in a direction to improve combustion and provide greater mileage per gallon of gasoline.- This is particularly true for low grades of gasoline. The main feature of the device is that the rotor floats in the mixture stream passing downwardly from the carburetor and thus operates on the Bornoulli principle. The blades are given a slight twist'which imparts motion to the rotor of the device, while the differential in pressure provided between the upper and lower surfaces raises the rotor above its rest support, a moving layer of gasoline and air mixture separating the stator and rotor during rotation. In one modification of the invention, a pin is provided for centering the rotor with respect to the stator, while in another modification centering is obtained by the conical form of the stator or rotor.

The principal object of the invention, therefore, is to improve atomization and particularly the carburetion of internal combustion motors.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved method of and means for atomizing or mixing gasoline with air.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved attachment to an internal combustion motor carburetor for breaking up gasoline globules for better distribution and combustion.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a rotating element in an air passage which floats on the air stream.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a rotating rotor at a fixed position in a down stream air passage.

Although the novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention will be pointed out with particularity in the appended claims, the manner of its organization and the mode of its operation will be better understood by referring to the following description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, in which: I

Fig. 1 is a cross sectional View of the lower portion of a carburetor showing one modification of the invention in operating position.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the invention.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional View showing the invention with its rotor in rest position.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of another embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view of the embodiment shown in Fig. 4 and taken along the line 55 thereof, showing the invention in operating position, and

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view of another form of the modification shown in Figs. 4 and 5 with the rotor in rest position.

Referring now to Figs. 1, 2, and 3 in which like numerals refer to identical elements, the lower portion of a carburetor shown by wall 5 has positioned therein a butterfly valve 6 which is adapted to be actuated about a pivot 1. The intake manifold shown by wall I0 is bolted to the carburetor by bolts H and between which is positioned the invention as illustrated in Fig. 1, the ends l6 of the stator l3'being clamped by the bolts H, and pressed into the usual gasket at this point.

The device consists of five parts; namely,-the stator I3 having the elongated end portions l6 and a center disc portion I4 with an opening l5 therein, a U-shaped bracket H with its ends attached to the stator at points l8 and I9, the center portion of the bracket carrying a centering pin 2| a Washer 22, resting on the bracket l! and rotatable and held in centered position by the pin 2|; and a rotor 23 having: a central disc section 24 and two blades 25 and 26, which are twisted at an angle of approximately 15 degrees to the horizontal, the disc portion having four holes therein as shown at 28. Althou h the holes 2 may vary in number and diameter, the preferred form is illustrated in the drawings.

The passage of the air and; gasoline mixture downwardly accomplishes two purposes. First, as it strikes the twisted blades 25 and 26, it rotates the rotor, and as it passes downwardly through the opening I5 in the stator |3, it causes the rotor 23 to be bodily-moved upwardly off of the washer 22 so that itrotates without contact with the washer or' the stator I3. It may, at times; contact the pin 2| when unequal amounts of the mixture, tilt the r otor-'2 at intervals. The rotor is bodily transiate'cl" upwardly by the wellknown Bornoulli eiiect, wherein the velocity of the. fluid passing the upper surface of the rotor disc portion 24 is greater than the velocity of the fluidpassing the lower side of the rotor, thus causing a difierential in pressure in a direction toward the general flow of'the fluid. Thus, there is a negative pressure on the upper surface of the rotor as compared with the pressure on the under surface thereof orthe normal pressure within the manifold. The result is that the rotor ismai'ntai-ned in a predetermined position adjacent the stator during operation, but separated therefrom; by a moving layer of the mixture. Theho-les 28 increase this pressure differential by permittingsome of the fluid to pass through the rotor tocause; turbulence on the under side thereof as compared to the uniform flow of the fluid over the upper surface of the rotor. The dimensions of the rotor-disc portion 24 have been soproportioned with respect to the dimensions of the blades as to providesufficient lift to overcome-the downward pressure of the mixture on the blades. In this manner, the rotor does not contact the washer '22 orthe under surface. of the stator F9, thus: providing a frictionless bear- One embodiment of the invention, wherein the dimensions between the ends of the bracket permit the device to be used in a one and onequarter inchdiameter manifold, has the following dimensions. The disc portion I4 of the stator =l3 was .53 inch; while the width of the-end portions l6 was .14- inch. The attachment points [B -and 19 on thesta-tor were .547 inch from the portion of the disc had adiameter of 0.45 inch 1 and were positionedwith theircenters .07 inch from the center of the disc. The bracket I! was of soft steel or other similar material having' a. linear length: of 1.95 inches with a Width or .14 inch and a 0.36 inch diameter hole at the center. The pin 2| was of high speed steel drill rod, or piano wire .25 inch long with a diameter of .035 inch. A small indentation may be made in the lower end of the pin to make the fastening of the pin to the bracket more secure when swaged in place. The washer 22 was of steel having a diameter of approximately one-quarter of an inch and a thickness of .03 inch. The above dimensioned device had suflicient lift to maintain it in its floating position over a wide range of: air velocities and all those encountered in the carburetors of standard makes of automobiles.

Referring now to Figs. 4, 5, and 6, a second modification of the device is illustrated, the main distinction between this modification and the one shown inEigs. 1,2, and 3 being the elimination of. the centering pin 2| and the formation of the rotor and stator in a conical form to provide a centering action; In Fig.5, this modification isshownin operating position ina carburetor similar to-the first modificationinFig. *1,

the carburetor being; provided with an air pipe- 3| so as to provide aconstant and substantiall'y center hole 32 of the stator 33.

rotor at all times. Under the stator 33- arotor 34 under which is a bracket 35 similar to the-stator, rotor, and bracket of the modification shown in Figs. 1 2, and 3; However, approximately one-half ofthe' central portion of the disc portions of the rotor and stator are pressed into a conical shape as-shown- -in- F-ig: 5,

with the bracket 35 being similarly- -formed to: provide a stop for the rotor when in rest posiI-- tion, and also to prevent the rotor from getting. out of position.

This embodiment of the invention operates in the same manner as the first modification in that the rotor 34 is. rotated bythe mixture of gasoline and air striking the surface of its twisted blades, while the variationin velocity of theairpassing the upper surface of the rotor disc andthe velocity of'the air passing the under' surf aceor the rotor disc causes a differential in pressure in an upward direction, which raises the rotor on the. bracket 35 and adjacent the. under surface of the stator, therealways being alayer of mixture between the lower surface of the-- stator and the upper surface of the rotor. Similarly to. the rotor 24 of Fig. 3; four holes- 36- are provided on the upper flat portion of the rotor to provide turbulence to the mixture on the under side of the rotor toincrease the di-fierence between-the two: velocities. Asmentioned above;- this difference between velocities causes thepres suredifferential and provides su-fiicient lift toraise therotor even during low mixture-velocities through the carburetorand manifold. Although the. pipe '3 is not required-to obtain the floating" action of the rotor; its use williprovide a= maximum rotation of the rotor at all motor speeds,

, therebyimprovingoperation.

In' Fig. 6. a slight-modification of the device of" Figs. 4 and 5 is shown wherein the four holes 36' in the rotor have been eliminated, while substantially all of the disc portions 38 and 39have been pressed into a conical form to provide the necessary centering action. modification will float its rotor in a normai carburetor, but

an auxiliary air supply may be provided by" a pipe 3| as shown in Fig. '5 to obtain improved} actiom The operation of a device as above described on the gasoline and air mixture is well-known in that it causes greater atomization of the mixture than would otherwise occur by the carburetor action alone, particularly during motor starts. It has been found that it is only necessary for a rotor blade to contact the droplets or globules of gasoline at a high speed to shatter them into fine particles, and that although more blades could be added to the rotor, two have been found to be sufficient to provide a desired breaking up action of the gasoline particles with respect to lift. The device has been found to reduce knocking by better atomization and by simply restricting the flow of gasoline and air mixture to the cylinders during acceleration. lhat is, when the butterfly valve 6 is opened beyond that required to pass a sufficient amount of mixture to the cylinders, the device reduces the amount actually getting to the cylinders. Another result of the use of the device has been found to be that the engine of the motor will run at a higher temperature by increasing the air to gasoline ratio, which, with low volatile types of gasoline, produces better combustion. Since there are no bearings in the device, there is negligible wear, no lubrication necessary, and very low friction, which permits the device to have a particularly long life.

I claim as my invention:

1. A device for breaking up liquid droplets in a liquid-laden gas mixture, comprising a conduit for said mixture, a substantially flat stator disc adapted to be supported by the walls of said conduit, a central opening in said stator disc, a substantially flat rotor disc not structurally connected to any other element and which is larger in circumference than the central opening in said stator disc and disposed below said stator opening, twisted blades extending outwardly from the periphery of said rotor disc, and a supporting structure depending below said rotor disc and from said stator disc to support said rotor disc only when there is no gas flow through said stator opening, said conduit directing said liquid-laden gas mixture toward said stator, the impingement of said mixture on said blades rotating said rotor disc, and the passage of said mixture through said opening and between said stator and rotor bodily translating said rotor 011 of said support- 6 ing structure and to a position immediate adjacent said stator, but separated therefrom by a moving layer of said mixture.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1, in which the central portions of said stator and said rotor are shaped in the form of upwardly disposed conical surfaces.

3. A device in accordance with claim 1, in which openings are provided in the disc portion of said rotor adjacent and below the opening in said stator disc.

4. A device in accordance with claim 1, in which auxiliary means are provided for supplying air to said opening in said stator disc.

JAMES R. ALBURGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 816,330 Johnston Mar. 27, 1906 97 ,332 Webb et a1. Sept. 27, 1910 1,333,978 Hensley Mar. 16, 1920 1,385,423 Bibbins July 26, 1921 1,430,299 Flatter et al. Sept. 26, 1922 1,520,356 Lawaczeck Dec. 23, 1924 ,614,664 Dyer Jan. 18, 1927 1,629,577 Klahn May 24, 1927 2,086,896 Carter July 13, 1987 2,099,366 Kutcher Nov. 16, 1937 2,154,807 Cory Apr. 18, 1939 2,246,464 Gerber June 17, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 4,746 Great Britain 1888 52,520 Germany 1890 OTHER REFERENCES Harnwell & Livengood, International Series in Physics, pub. by McGraw-I-Iill Book Co., New York, 1933, page 21.

Schutte et al., Rotameters, Bulletin 18R, March 1939, pub. by Schutte & Koerting Co., Philadelphia, Pa., pp. 18002 and 18003.

Harvey E. White, Classical and Modern Physics, D. Van Nostrand Co., Inc., New York, 940, page 122. 

